


Arrest

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Mafia AU [10]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 00:11:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4283265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Because you’re under arrest for multiple counts of theft, murder, attempted murder, child abuse, and assault and battery. And I’m sure I’ll be able to think up a few more on our way to the station.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arrest

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place the same day as/right after _Black Cars_. Tim is the youngest of those still at the compound at 18, but Selina calls them all children anyway, for whatever reason. They’re all vaguely happy Dick and Damian were able to get out, and wish they could join them but know they can’t. Not right then. Dick didn’t have to get out of the car to be a witness, but he wanted to face Bruce because reasons.

Tim found himself pacing, watching out the front window of the mansion compound.

Tim had offhandedly suggested to Damian to think for himself. He didn’t mean to inspire the younger to _sneak away from their convoy without anyone noticing_.

Dick had gone back for him. Tim checked his watch. Dick should have returned by now.

And he was a businessman, it was his job to figure things out and think of all the possibilities. But for this, he didn’t want to. He didn’t know all the details – no one knew all the details between Bruce and Dick – but he’d sensed tension. He knew there was a problem, that Bruce was getting increasingly unhappy with his eldest son. That’s why he and Cass had been ordered to do things that suspiciously kept them away from Dick the past few weeks.

But it had all come to a head just a day before, when a meeting between the two ended with a door slamming open, and Dick carrying a swollen-faced Damian away. With Bruce going out on the streets, delivering retribution for their enemies himself.

Tim was always known to think the worst. Find the worst scenarios. What if whatever Dick had done was bad enough that Bruce put a hit out on him? What if Bruce had him hurt? Taught a lesson?

He felt his heart start to beat rapidly. What if Damian didn’t stay behind at all? What if Bruce…kicked him out of the car? Used him as bait for Dick to turn around? Oh god, what if Bruce had both his eldest and youngest _killed_?

Tim wouldn’t put it past him. Honestly, he couldn’t.

“Worry won’t help.” Cassandra whispered from the chair behind him. As he passed her for the tenth time, she reached out, clutching his wrist tightly. “We just need…to hope for the best.”

That didn’t help much. ‘The best’ in their line of work meant that they would be allowed to find the body. Tim gulped. Or _bodies_.

“We should go look for them.” Tim paused. “Send Steph to go look for them.”

“No.” Cass sighed.

“It’s been _hours_.”

“And if Bruce is as… _annoyed_ with Dick as we believe.” Cass reminded. “Then he won’t be concerned until it’s been _days_. And we can’t move without his approval.”

“Even for the kid?” Tim countered.

Cassandra sighed, dropped her grip.  Tim went back to pacing. “You know he only cares for Damian when he _wants_ to.”

“But he wouldn’t…” And Tim didn’t even want to voice the thought. “He wouldn’t _kill_ him. Damian, or… _or_ Dick. Would he?”

Cassandra didn’t answer, choosing instead to just turn away. Tim continued to pace.

It was another forty-five minutes before anything changed. Before Stephanie and Barbara came bursting into the room. Before Tim picked up the approaching sound of sirens.

“What?” Cassandra demanded, standing as Barbara unlatched the window and pushed it open.

“They found them.” Tim tried urgently. “The police found Dick and Damian.”

“Don’t know.” Stephanie admitted.

“Alfred just said for everyone to get in the house.” Barbara finished, staring intently down at the driveway as the gate opened, and three squad cars screeched to a halt.

Tim, Cassandra and Stephanie all grouped around her, watching as officers got out of the back two cars. No weapons were drawn, but their hands were ready at their hips.

No one in the first car moved, not until Bruce and Selina walked out of the house arm in arm. They held their normal air of confidence, even as the front cruiser’s driver door opened and Jason Todd stepped out.

Jason, the deserter.

Each of the four of them audibly gasped, as Jason’s partner Sasha also appeared from the car. As Jason smirked and stepped forward. Bruce kept his confident stance, though had Selina step back.

“He didn’t have enough evidence to arrest four hours ago.” Barbara muttered quickly, eyes darting across the scene. “Even after the interrogations. What could he possibly have _now_?”

More movement from one of the rear cars. The officer opening the back door, one of two shadows moving in the backseat. Dick’s head appeared as he stood, draped an arm over the top of the vehicle. The second shadow – much smaller – tried to peek through the car door’s hinge, but Dick almost instantly pushed them back in.

Tim felt relief flow through his body. “He’s got _them_. He’s got Dick and Damian.”

Bruce and Jason came face to face. Both smirking. Both looking as cocky as they always have. Suddenly Jason looked over his shoulder. “Mister Grayson?”

Dick stared forward blankly, then suddenly nodded grimly. “That’s him.”

Dick didn’t say anything else, just disappeared back into the car. Almost instantly, Tim could see his gray shadow reach out, wrap an arm tightly around Damian’s shoulders.

“He’s out.” Stephanie breathed, clutching Tim’s arm as she leaned against him. “They’re both _out_.”

She didn’t need to elaborate more. It was always a conversation amongst Bruce’s children. What they would do if they weren’t adopted or coerced into employment. They always felt bad for their youngest. Damian never had much of a choice. So that became a new facet of their talks, as the boy got older. What they would do if they weren’t here. How they would get Damian safely out.

And it was tentative, right now. But it seemed Jason had him. Jason had him and, judging by the officers around that car, he wasn’t giving the child back. Neither him nor Dick.

The car door was slammed shut, and when Jason turned back to Bruce, his grin was downright gleeful.  

“Bruce Wayne, I’m going to need you to turn around.”

“Oh?” Bruce questioned, though did as he was told. In the corner of his eye, Tim saw Alfred come out of the house, stand next to Selina. “Why so?”

Jason whipped out his handcuffs, slamming them roughly down on Bruce’s wrists. “Because you’re under arrest for multiple counts of theft, murder, attempted murder, child abuse, and assault and battery.” As soon as the cuffs were secure, Jason jerked him around, marching him towards his car. “And I’m sure I’ll be able to think up a few more on our way to the station.”

Selina immediately tried to leap forward, was immediately held back by Alfred.

Bruce didn’t seem concerned. Merely called over his shoulder. “Selina, dear. Call the lawyers.”

Sasha opened the back door of her and Jason’s patrol car, didn’t even try to hide her feelings, narrowing her eyes and sneering at him as he lowered onto the seat. She slammed the door and, even from their window lookout, they could hear her mutter. “Good riddance.”

“You’re just _bitter_.” Selina shouted, pulling against Alfred. “You’re just jealous that you left and Bruce didn’t want you _back_.”

“Oh, shut up, Selina.” Jason drawled, rounding back to the driver’s side of his car. The other officers were already back in theirs, already pulling out of the drive. “Don’t make me arrest you too.”

Selina suddenly spat, though it was nowhere near reaching Jason. “I’d like to see you try.”

Jason just rolled her eyes, laughing as he yanked his door open. Before he ducked into his car, his eyes slowly trailed up to the window, where the four of them were gathered.

And it was a surprise to all. He didn’t look at them with contempt, or disappointment. Not as he has for years. Instead he gave them a light smile, held his hand up to his face, curled save for the thumb at his ear and the pinkie at his mouth, and mouthed the phrase _, “Call me.”_

Barbara was the only one to react. She gave a curt nod, blowing a grateful kiss in Jason’s direction. Jason’s smile widened, and he disappeared back into his car.

As Jason’s car backed down the drive, they all heard the loud bang of the front door, followed quickly by Selina’s scream of. “Children! Here, _now_!”

The girls all jumped into action, pushing away from the window and dashing from the room. Tim stayed behind for just a few seconds, watching as Jason swerved into the road, turned his car into the proper lane. Before he hit the gas, he glanced up at the window, gave Tim a quick wave.

_Call me._

Tim found himself waving back, fingers twitching around the phone in his pocket.

_“Tim!”_

He pulled his hand out of his pocket, turned and jogged into the hallway.

**Author's Note:**

> [Other Mafia AU stories](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/search/mafia+au)   
> 


End file.
